According the FBI, the number of annual background checks has increased since 2002, when a total of 8,454,322 background checks were recorded.

The NICS was launched by the FBI on Nov. 30, 1998, to determine whether prospective firearms customers are “eligible to buy firearms or explosives.” Cashiers are required by law to call in a check to the FBI or “other designated agencies” to determine whether the customer has a criminal record or is otherwise prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm. According to the FBI, more than 100 million checks have been made in the last decade, and over 700,000 denials have been issued.